CNN's GUT CHECK | for March 18, 2014| 5 p.m.
– n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

DEVELOPING … RNC PREDICTS 2014 “TSUNAMI” … The head of the Republican Party has a prediction about November's midterm elections. "I think we're in for a tsunami-type election in 2014," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus said Tuesday at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

"My belief is, it's going to be a very big win, especially at the U.S. Senate level, and we may add some seats in congressional races. … I think among youth and women, we're gonna see the greatest increase in 2014 because of, number one, Obamacare," Priebus said.

D Wasserman Schultz (@DWStweets)
One year later and all the Republican Party has gotten is one year older #SameOldParty http://sameoldparty.com

OBAMA URGES “ALL HANDS ON DECK”: In an email to his OFA list, President Obama says, “There are 13 days left this year to get Americans covered through the health insurance marketplace before the March 31st deadline. All hands on deck. … Folks need to hear from their friends and loved ones that signing up for health insurance has nothing to do with Congress, or Republicans and Democrats - or even me.”

G7 TO MEET ABOUT UKRAINE:The White House announced Tuesday that Obama invited leaders of the G7 industrial powers to meet next week to discuss the Ukraine crisis. … This gathering by Obama and his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada could cause a scrapping of their annual summit with Russia planned for July in Sochi, and perhaps kicking Putin out of the G8 club altogether.

Both moves have been threatened, with the G7 nations already halting preparations for the Sochi meeting. – Tom Cohen and Tom Watkins

ROMNEY BLASTS OBAMA-(HILLARY) CLINTON FOREIGN POLICY: Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Mitt Romney says: “President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton traveled the world in pursuit of their promise to reset relations and to build friendships across the globe. Their failure has been painfully evident.”

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING … LATE NIGHT DEVELOPMENT IN BATTLE FOR KEY SENATE SEAT …A late night move has cleared the path for Republican Rep. Cory Gardner of Colorado to challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Udall in this year's midterm election. State Sen. Owen Hill Monday night announced he was dropping his bid for the GOP nomination in Colorado. In an email to supporters Hill said "Congressman Cory Gardner has the best chance of defeating Mark Udall in November and I pray that he does." Hill was supported by many tea party activists and recently won the endorsement of the Tea Party Express, a leading national tea party organization. – Paul Steinhauser

THE BUZZ … WHITE HOUSE’S TOP PASTRY CHEF TO LEAVE POSTMarian Burros of The New York Times writes, “The first lady, Michelle Obama, is soon to lose her executive pastry chef, Bill Yosses. And she is partly to blame. She has piqued his interest in the relationship between food and health, (Yosses) said in a recent telephone interview. So the man who made the Hawaiian chocolate-malted ganache for the White House state dinner for France is now headed to New York with an aim to teach children and adults about eating better.”Daily Caller take: “White House pastry chef resigns: ‘I don’t want to demonize cream, butter, sugar and eggs’”

TRAIL TRIVIA(Answer below)
Which Illinois politician urged citizens to include a tea bag when paying their electricity bills, to protest tax hikes?

the LEDEDid you miss it?

LeadingCNNPolitics.com:Hillary Clinton must once again win over some in Jewish community
Flanked by Jewish politicians in front of the United Nations on a July day, then-Sen. Hillary Clinton made a forceful appeal for the United States to back Israel as the Jewish nation's forces squared off against Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanon War. – Dan Merica

Leading Des Moines Register:Iowa interview with Ted Cruz, between … two houseplants
Two potted houseplants were sitting near the impromptu set for three news interviews with Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz this afternoon in the downtown Marriott Hotel. Des Moines Register photographer Rodney White made a crack about ferns, and without hesitation, two reporters waiting for Cruz dragged the twin plants into the video cameras’ view, giggling. – Jennifer Jacobs

LeadingDrudge: In Charge
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Monday of being guided in its foreign policy not by international law but by the "rule of the gun." "Our Western partners headed by the United States prefer not to be guided by international law in their practical policies, but by the rule of the gun," he told a joint session of parliament. – Alexei Anishchuk; Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel, editing by Elizabeth Piper

LeadingHuffPo: Testing the Waters’
Texas tea party darling U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is making his fourth trip to Iowa in eight months, logging serious face-time before most other potential 2016 White House hopefuls in the state that kicks off presidential voting. – Will Weissert

LeadingPolitico: Charles Rangel and Bill de Blasio: Political Silence
“I haven’t been able to talk with him since he’s been elected,” Rangel, in an interview, said of de Blasio. “I’ve had any number of people tell me that I can depend on the endorsement. I haven’t heard that yet from the mayor. It would not surprise me — and like the governor and the senators — that at the appropriate time, when there’s a rollout, his name would be included.” – John Bresnahan and Maggie Haberman

LeadingNew York Times:A Campaign Inquiry in Utah Is the Watchdogs’ Worst Case
Public records, affidavits and a special legislative report released last week offer a strikingly candid view inside the world of political nonprofits, where big money sluices into campaigns behind a veil of secrecy. The proliferation of such groups — and what campaign watchdogs say is their widespread, illegal use to hide donations — are at the heart of new rules now being drafted by the Internal Revenue Service to rein in election spending by nonprofit “social welfare” groups, which unlike traditional political action committees do not have to disclose their donors. – Nicholas Confessore

HOT SOTSThe political bites of the day

- Ron Paul: Crimea secedes. So what? - RON PAUL WRITING IN USA TODAY: "Why does the U.S. care which flag will be hoisted on a small piece of land thousands of miles away? … Perhaps the U.S. officials who supported the unconstitutional overthrow of Ukraine's government should refocus their energies on learning our own Constitution, which does not allow the U.S. government to overthrow governments overseas or send a billion dollars to bail out Ukraine and its international creditors."

- Rush: Russia wouldn’t laugh at G.W. Bush - RUSH LIMBAUGH ON HIS NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO SHOW: “Folks, they are openly laughing at our president. They are openly mocking Barack Obama! ….Putin's calling Obama a prankster with his sanctions. Obama's gonna sanction some individual Russians, so the Russians came and said, "Okay, well, we'll sanction you!" And they're mocking him. Now, one thing that you have to admit: They did not laugh at George W. Bush.”

- Graham ad touts tough questions on Benghazi and radical Islam - NARRATOR IN AN AD FOR SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-SOUTH CAROLINA, FOR SENATE: "He stands up for America and our troops, challenging the president ... asking the tough questions on Iran, Benghazi, and radical Islam … In a dangerous world where the only guarantee of peace is strength, Sen. Lindsey Graham stands strong."

TOP TWEETSWhat stopped us in 140 characters or lessE McMorris-Santoro (‏@EvanMcSan)
Carney on Preibus’ “Republican Tsunami”: “It’s an interesting choice of words.”

Mark Knoller ‏(@markknoller)
"Today is truly historic," says Pres Obama of today's Medal of Honor ceremony for 24 soldiers, living & dead. Largest such group since WWII.

AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan)
The answer to why Lenny Kravitz is here. His uncle receives the Medal of Honor. One of 24 soldiers. Three Vets are in attendance.

CNN's Gut Check (@GutCheckCNN)
Happy Birthday @TheLeadCNN! Here's a flashback to their first episode ever a year ago today. "Ah, that new set smell" cnn.it/1gKpoit

TRIVIA ANSWER from @sarafischer

It was Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, who took a page from the Tea Party’s playbook and urged taxpayers in Illinois to send tea bags along with their bills to Springfield to protest tax hikes in 1978.

Quinn encouraged outraged taxpayers to send teabags in protest to then-Governor James Thompson after the Illinois General Assembly passed a 40% hike in legislators' salaries. According to Gov. Quinn’s re-election campaign website, Thompson’s office was overwhelmed with 40,000 teabags within days.

After legislators refused to rescind their pay raises, despite clear voter support for the measure, Quinn launched a petition drive to reduce the size of the Illinois legislature. He gathered 475,000 signatures. A cutback amendment was approved by voters on the 1980 ballot and, as a result, the Illinois House was cut from 177 to 118 members.

Gov. Quinn will face a reelection challenge this fall from the winner of today’s Republican primary in Illinois.

soundoff(20 Responses)

WANT TO SIGN UP?
Do you have a friend who wants to sign up for GUT CHECK or our new CNNPolitics Breaking News Alerts?

Hmm. Both sides attack each other side day after day? Umm........No. If this is what CNN considers political debate, it is useless to recommend people sign up: the left is in offense mode, willing to offer solutions and back up their comments with data supporting issues. The right as usual is trying to sell snake oil using distraction, out right lies, and obfuscation. The middle? The middle is a David and Charles Koch far right republican meme being served up as independence and freedom by a group of hypocrites too blinded by fear to fight their way out of a paper bag. Why independents are pushing this agenda only they understand.

Pubic has nothing for the GOP to run on, oh ya, they could run on incompetence and obstruction, two winning GOP qualities and anti healthcare agenda and their croch brothers connection!!!!!

March 18, 2014 05:16 pm at 5:16 pm |

Marie MD

I hope it's he's that rolls in 2014.

March 18, 2014 05:19 pm at 5:19 pm |

Marie MD

Meant to say his head that rolls.

March 18, 2014 05:19 pm at 5:19 pm |

budwhite451

Christie hanging out that poor lady to vote, man up

March 18, 2014 05:24 pm at 5:24 pm |

tom l

Rudy NYC

Name

J Anthony. Agreed. I have been trying for some time to alert the people on these boards that dems and repubs act just like gangs. They're the modern day Crips and Bloods
--------––
You don't do that. My man, tom l., does that. Who are you? Is that you, tom l? BTW, that comparison is so ignorant that I am truly at a loss for words. Is that supposed to be reaching out? Speaking in terms that others can understand? Do you even realize that most moderates and liberals really have no true idea of what you're talking about? Comparing the two major political parties to "Jets and Sharks", and "Crips and Bloods", is really weird, dude. Seriously.
====

It doesn't surprise me that you don't understand what I'm saying because you still think that dems are good and repubs are bad. You are so embroiled in the bitter partisanship of "us" vs. "them" that you just don't get it. It goes above your comprehension. See, both of the political parties act like gangs and fight for turf. They overwhelm the masses and lord over us as they think they're better than us. No better example than Feinstein being outraged at the CIA spying on her yet has no problem with them spying on us little peons. Some day you might break free from your bitter partisanship (and no matter how many times you say it, you're not a moderate. I could say I'm 7 feet tall 1000 times but it won't make it true). You're an intelligent person who's just been blinded and sold by the dems. They are both gangs and some day you might realize that. Until then, posts like mine will confuse you and your simple thought process.

March 18, 2014 05:33 pm at 5:33 pm |

Tommy G

I simply don't understand why all of this marketing and selling of Obamacare is necessary. BILLIONS has been spent on selling this supposedly great government entitlement program. Non-stop publicity for 4-5 years! Democrats told us this was a major problem that they were solving, a "healthcare crisis". And Obamacare was the answer, the solution to the big crisis. Well where the heck are all these people that were supposedly in crisis with no healthcare??!! Where is the stampeede of people for this??? There ISN'T one.

We wrecked the healthcare that 85% of the American people had and were happy with, FOR WHAT???

Bottom line this was all another Democrat SCAM JOB DELUXE. They concocted this cock and bull "crisis" in order to takeover and wreck the healthcare system so the government would be forced to rush in and pick up the pieces with the real end game, government owned and controlled and paid for healthcare, one payer, the TAXPAYERS.

March 18, 2014 05:56 pm at 5:56 pm |

king

all the dems can hope is the economy to go down, because the more the economy improves the more dems slide. the repubs shout obama economy only when they want to lie to the people that the economy doing bad, too bad these backward people believe their superior propaganda. dems you guys got to let universal healthcare go. the people are ready to drag you for it. the repubs have won let it go. it doesn't matter how many people you guys sign up now, its useless. the repubs superior propaganda machine has convinced these backward people that dying on the road, bankruptcy, and 20 percent premium hike every year is the way to go. the dems have sacrificed too much in 2010, LET IT GO. Do you think these repubs have any intention of seeing this president succeed after all the money they've spent, obstruction, government shut down, and destroying our triple A credit to see this president do good and have a legacy the rabid tea partiers wont have that. stop fooling yourself, you give the senate to the repubs, you will see government shut downs, obstructions and all kind of crap. just because the repubs can do this and dont worry about a backlash. they know the they own all the propaganda machine, this is why they do what they do without fare of repercussion.

March 18, 2014 05:57 pm at 5:57 pm |

Wilson

Simple truths about Obama:
He is not a working president. He’s simply an occupier of the office.
He is not a leader. He is a divider.
He does not build goodwill. He squanders it.
He does not give credit. He takes it.
He does not assume responsibility. He lays blame.
He does not instill trust. He breeds suspicion.
He seldom speaks the truth. He often lies.
He does not seek wise counsel. He seeks ratification of his radical views.
He is not a man of action. He is a child of rhetoric.
He is not a man of character. He is a character of the media.
He is an empty soul and pathetic sociopath.

March 18, 2014 06:19 pm at 6:19 pm |

NATHAN WIMBERLY

the debt ceiling was just the start. Can't wait to see Grover Norquist and the GOBP stuff Jeb Bush down the tea potty's throats 2012 Mitt the twit style.

March 18, 2014 07:01 pm at 7:01 pm |

Anonymous

I was on my home today, listening to CNN on Sirius, Jake Tapper, medal of honor for many who deserve it, from the description I heard. I stopped my car, I'm not American, but I thought the people mentioned deserved my attention. So imagine my surprise, I thought I would get home and watch the ceremonies on TV, CNN, or on website, but no, on website GUT check more or less front page, and on TV Malaysia air, even though nothing new, sad really, too bad as a generation we forget the sacrifices that came before (worldwide really)

March 18, 2014 08:42 pm at 8:42 pm |

The truth hurts

Face it the Dem's and Obama destroyed this country, we are laughed at on the world stage, OBama is a stooge, that has no business running this country. Those that support him need to have their head examine by a shrink, as they are wacko's.

March 18, 2014 09:28 pm at 9:28 pm |

Thomas

I thought Bobby Darin was dead .

March 19, 2014 12:44 am at 12:44 am |

Sendro

The chicken aregoing home to roost.

March 19, 2014 03:59 am at 3:59 am |

Marie MD

@tom I, it IS about good and bad.
The Democrats don't seem to be obsessed with women's private parts as much as the teaklans are.
The Democrats are not the ones telling women they can't use contraceptives or gays who to marry an the are not plotting against seniors, veterans, poor children.
As far as the CA or the NSA spying on citizens? Anyone with a facebook account gives out more information than the NS or CIA will ever find while spying. Feinstein does think congress is above the little people and they are not though

So your so smart the rest of us lefties just can't comprehend, that's rich. Roflmao . This coming from a guy who thinks adding to the inequalities is the answer to inequality, pure genius!

March 19, 2014 06:58 am at 6:58 am |

What's in that Tea Anyway?

WANT TO SIGN UP?
Do you have a friend who wants to sign up for GUT CHECK or our new CNNPolitics Breaking News Alerts?

Hmm. Both sides attack each other side day after day? Umm........No. If this is what CNN considers political debate, it is useless to recommend people sign up: the left is in offense mode, willing to offer solutions and back up their comments with data supporting issues. The right as usual is trying to sell snake oil using distraction, out right lies, and obfuscation. The middle? The middle is a David and Charles Koch far right republican meme being served up as independence and freedom by a group of hypocrites too blinded by fear to fight their way out of a paper bag. Why independents are pushing this agenda only they understand

------–

Truer words were never spoken...It is truly unfortunate without the feeble minded supporting the GOP/Tea agenda, the entire base of the party could fit in a little league stadium....and if we keep them there showing re-runs of Abbott and Costello, the rest of the country could actually get something done.

March 19, 2014 07:45 am at 7:45 am |

What's in that Tea Anyway?

@Tom I

Good luck trying to convince anyone with an IQ over room temperature you know the difference between your hat and your overcoat. I see your posts day after day trying to be relevant and literally soiling your britches with ever written word....its absolutely hilarious.... You have nothing but insults for all things dem, then you do a two-step trying say the GOP is equally as bad...all the while failing to support anything ... any resolution to any problem....absolutely priceless / more like useless. Keep trying Tom I , even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then